Week 41: “Wild Geese Return”

October 07 to October 13 is the 41st week of the year. In the northern hemisphere, this period falls within the meteorological and astronomical fall seasons. The Solar Term for this week is Cold Dew (Oct 08 – Oct. 22) and the micro-season for this week is “Wild Geese Return” (Oct 08 – Oct 12).

Basho, Issa, Buson, and Reichhold wrote the poems selected for this week.

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The 24 Solar Terms 

The 24 solar terms were created by farmers in ancient China  (206 BCE and 24 CE) to help guide their agricultural activities. Each solar term is 15 days long and is based on the climate around Xi’an, the capital of China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). ⁽¹⁾

Cold Dew

Cold Dew, is the seventeenth Solar Term of the year the fifth Solar Term of Autumn. Hanlu (寒露) is the Chinese name for this season.  Hanlu (寒露) means even lower temperatures should be expected.⁽²⁾

Chrysanthemum liquor is a traditional drink during Cold Dew.⁽²⁾  The chrysanthemum has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years.  When consumed as an herbal tea, it is said to to treat respiratory issues, boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure, and improve sight.⁽³⁾. 

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The 72 Seasons

The 72-season calendar was established in 1685 by Japanese astronomer Shibukawa Shunkai.  Each season lasts for about 5 days and offers “a poetic journey through the Japanese year in which the land awakens and blooms with life and activity before returning to slumber.”⁽⁵⁾

The micro-season for this week is “Wild Geese Return” (Oct 08 – Oct 12).

About “Wild Geese Return”

“Wild Geese Return” (Oct 8 – Oct 12) is the counter-season to “Wild Geese Fly North” (Apr 9 – April 13). These two micro-seasons focus on the migration patterns of geese.  

It should be noted that depending on your geographic location, your experience with bird migration may differ.  For example, in the northeastern parts of the United States geese depart in autumn and head south for the winter.  However, for individuals residing in more southern regions, this pattern is reversed, with geese arriving in autumn and departing in the spring.   

The White-Fronted Goose

In Japan, the White-Fronted Goose accounts for about 90% of the goose population. During late September and early October, these geese return to the rice paddies and marshes from their summer home in Siberia. They typically remain in Japan until late March or early April.⁽⁷⁾

White-Fronted Geese are classified into two subspecies: Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) and Lesser White-Fronted Geese (Anser erythropus). Both species inhabit Japan, with the Greater White-Fronted Goose being more common.⁽⁸⁾

Greater White-Fronted Goose

The Greater White-Fronted Goose is a medium-sized, heavy-bodied bird with stocky legs, a small bill, and a short neck.⁽⁹⁾ These birds average about 25.2-31.9 in (64-81 cm) in length and can have a wingspan of about 53.1 in (135 cm).  The adult birds are “mostly brown with white feathering around the base of a pinkish-orange bill. Black barring marks the belly and the under tail is white.”⁽⁹⁾ While the birds are flying, an observer can see a white “U” at the base of the tail. When the birds are standing still, a thin white line across their side is noticeable. 

Lesser White-Fronted Goose

The Lesser White-Fronted Goose is similar to the Greater White-Fronted Goose but smaller and more compact.  This goose averages about 21–26 in (53–66 cm) in length with a wingspan of about 47–53 in (120–135 cm).(10)  This goose is also described as having “a rather oval, ‘high-crowned’ head with a steep forehead . . . and relatively long wings which project well beyond the tail-tip.”⁽⁸⁾ These geese may also move more rapidly than the larger birds. This behavior can also help determine the difference between the Greater and Lesser species.⁽⁸⁾

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Haiku, Kigo, and Saijiki

The kigo, or season word, is one of the key parts of the haiku. A kigo “a poetic device used in haiku to denote a season.”⁽¹¹⁾ It can “conjure up many allusions, historical references, spiritual meanings, and/or cultural traditions.”⁽¹¹⁾ When used in a haiku, it is “especially effective because of this power to expand its meaning beyond the literal and to create a larger aura of seasonal mood, historical/ literary context, and/or cultural implications.”⁽¹¹⁾

A saijiki is a dictionary of season words, or kigo, paired with haiku using that season word.  A saijiki is a reference and tool for the poet that is divided into five seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and New Year) and separated into seven categories.

In The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, each of the five seasons has seven categories of words.

• Seasons
• Heavens
• Earth
• Humanity
• Observances
• Animals
• Plants

While this document doesn’t include haiku for each season word, it is helpful in understanding what words may be kigo.

In  A Dictionary of Haiku, Jane Reichhold’s English language saijiki representing her location and experiences, she follows the five seasons structure with some slight differences in categories.  Reichhold’s categories are:

• Moods
• Occasions
• Celestial 
• Terrestrial
• Livelihood
• Animals 
• Plants

Both Reichhold’s Dictionary and Yamamoto’s Essential Season Words are helpful in understanding the role and use of kigo in haiku.

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This Week’s Kigo and Haiku

In The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words as selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto, “goose”,  and “migrating birds” are relevant kigo for this week. These kigo are located in the Animals category of Yamamoto’s list. 

In Jane Reichhold’s A Dictionary of Haiku, “cormorant”,  “migrating fowl”, “pheasant”, and “ vulture” are relevant kigo.  These kigo are listed in Animals category of Reichhold’s list.

Now, let’s read some haiku. 

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Basho

geese clamoring
on the rice fields at Toba- 
frigid rain. 
(translated by David Landis Barnhill) 

cockscombs- 
with geese arriving, 
now deeper crimson. 
(translated by David Landis Barnhill) 

Issa

geese honking--
in this year of suffering
just one harvest moon
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

just today and tomorrow
left of autumn!
rice field geese
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

a crow pays
the wild geese a visit...
rice field
(translated by David G. Lanoue)

Buson

The surprised mud snail
shuts its door —
a landing goose
(translated by Allan Persinger)

Returning geese
the moon reflected in every paddy
this cloud dappled night
(translated by Allan Persinger)

Reichhold

flight of a bird
unmarked
a feather falls

last light
out of the cove
a dark bird

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Haiku Invitation

This week’s haiku invitation is to write a haiku or senryu about geese.

Share your haiku in the comments below, or post on your page and link back. I can’t wait to read what you write! 

Formatting Note:  To eliminate the spaces between the lines of your haiku, hit shift-enter at the end of the line.  For example,

one (shift-enter)
line two (shift-enter)
the third line (shift-enter)

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Thank You!

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A Local Saijiki Project

The Yuki Teikei Haiku Society, explains that a saijiki is useful for poets, “naturalists, and people interested in the natural and cultural history of an area.”  The saijiki contains seasonal words, plus haiku that demonstrate the poetic qualities of the words.

The creation of a local saijiki, one that represents an individual community, always felt like a big, daunting, and yet worthwhile project.  So, I have decided to try and create my own saijiki. I am not sure how this will turn out, but if you are interested in joining me and creating your own saijiki, I have created a saijiki worksheet to get you started.  If nothing else, this is a good exercise in noticing the natural world and writing haiku. Let’s see where this project takes us! 

• Saijiki Worksheet (PDF file)
• Saijiki Worksheet (Google Doc)

About Today’s Haiku

Basho’s haiku were retrieved from “Matsuo Bashō’s haiku poems in romanized Japanese with English translations” Editor: Gábor Terebess. Issa’s haiku were retrieved from David G. Lanoue’s Haiku Guy. Buson’s haiku was retrieved from Foxfire: the Selected Poems of Yosa Buson, a Translation by Allan Persinger. Jane Reichhold’s haiku was retrieved from the Dictionary of Haiku.

References:

1. “The 24 Solar Terms”; China Educational Tours
2. “6 Solar Terms of Autumn”; China Educational Tours
3. “The History and Healing Power of The Chrysanthemum”. The Qi.com
4. “24 Solar Terms: 8 things you may not know about White Dew”. English.gov.cn
5. 72 Seasons App
6. “Japan’s 72 Microseasons”; Nippon.com
7. Ishi Hiroyuki; “The Flight of the Wild Geese”: Nippon.com
8. “Greater and Lesser White-fronted Geese photo ID guide”; Birdguides.com
9. “Greater White-Fronted Goose”; AllAboutBirds.org
10. “Lesser White-Fronted Goose”; Wikipedia
11. New to Haiku: What is a Kigo?; Haiku Foundation